To change the screen resolution on a MacBook Air, choose Apple menu › System Settings › Displays, then click one of the resolution thumbnails. Options toward Larger Text make everything bigger, and options toward More Space fit more on the screen.
This guide covers changing the built-in display’s resolution, seeing resolutions as a list, setting a resolution for an external monitor or TV, fixing a black screen after a change, and other ways to make text bigger. The steps follow Apple’s guide to changing your Mac display’s resolution and apply to MacBook Air models running macOS Ventura or later.
How to Change the Resolution on a MacBook Air
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings.
- Click Displays in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
- Move the pointer over the thumbnails to see each resolution size.
- Click the one you want.
Result: The screen switches right away. Text and windows get bigger if you chose a Larger Text option, or smaller with more room if you chose More Space.
See resolutions as a list
Control-click the thumbnails and choose Show List to see exact sizes. Control-click the list and choose Show Thumbnails to switch back. To always use the list, click Advanced and turn on Show resolutions as list.
Which Resolution Should You Use?
Apple says your Mac automatically uses the best resolution for the display, and that it’s best to keep the default. Change it only if text is too small to read comfortably, or if you want more room for side-by-side windows.
- Larger Text: good for reading comfort, but fewer things fit on screen.
- Default: the balance Apple picks for your MacBook Air.
- More Space: fits more, but text and buttons get small.
Apple notes that some app windows may not fit entirely on the screen at certain resolutions, and that a scaled resolution may affect performance.
How to Set the Resolution for an External Display or TV
- Connect the display.
- Open System Settings › Displays.
- Select the external display, then choose a resolution.
- Turn on Show all resolutions if you need more choices.
Result: The external display uses the new resolution while your MacBook Air screen keeps its own setting.
Exlima, a video course creator, describes using the full resolution list to pick a 16:9 size such as 1920 × 1080 on newer notched MacBooks for screen recordings. You may see black bars on the built-in display when you do this.
If the Screen Goes Black After a Change
Apple says an unsupported resolution can make the screen go black temporarily.
- Wait 15 seconds to see if your Mac resets the resolution on its own.
- If not, press Esc to go back to the previous resolution.
- If that doesn’t work, start your Mac in safe mode, open Displays, and click Default. Then restart normally.
Other Ways to Make Things Easier to See
You don’t have to change the resolution to make text bigger. Apple’s guide to increasing the size of what’s on the screen lists these options under System Settings › Accessibility:
- Text size: Accessibility › Display › Text size changes text in many apps, plus desktop and sidebar text.
- Hover Text: shows a large version of text under the pointer.
- Zoom: magnifies the whole screen or part of it with keyboard shortcuts or gestures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set my MacBook Air to its native resolution?
The Default option is what Apple considers best for the display. To see every available size, switch to the list view, or turn on Show all resolutions for an external display.
Why does everything look blurry at some resolutions?
Scaled resolutions don’t always map neatly to the screen’s pixels, which can make text slightly softer. Go back to Default if it bothers you.
More Mac Guides
- How to stop your MacBook display from dimming on battery
- How to always show scroll bars on a Mac
- How to choose when the screen saver turns on for your Mac
Want a bigger screen? Here’s how to connect a 2012 MacBook Air to an HDTV.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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